Last retired ship from Suisun Bay ready for recycling

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Members of the crew that prepared the “Cape Borda” for removal sign best wishes on her hull. The ship is being tugged to Texas where it will be broken down and eventually recycled. – Katy St. Clair — Times-Herald

The last of 57 ships retired and and set for removal from the Suisun Bay left the Mare Island Dry Dock early Friday morning after a good-bye ceremony of sorts involving city leaders, environmental groups, and maritime staff.

The 8,000-ton “Cape Borda” had served a long life, most notably in delivering supplies to the first Gulf War.

“She’s a good ship and we hate to see her go,” said Joel Szabat, executive director of the Maritime Administration.

The ships were all removed as part of an ambitious plan to clean up the bay of old ships which can remain and pollute the waters over time.

The big project ended two months ahead of schedule, with the “Borda” being its final coda.

It and the other vessels are being recycled and will eventually become parts of new ships, tanks, or bridges, according to Nikhil Shah, president of All Star Metals, which will receive the Borda in Texas and break it down for re-purposing.

The cleanup and recycling project was spearheaded by a lawsuit filed against the federal government by three agencies, San Francisco Baykeeper, Arc Ecology, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Aging ships emit pollutants, and David Elias of the California Regional Quality Control Board said that this project has shown a documented improvement in water quality in the estuary and bay. “There’s data,” he said.

Needless to say, cleaning 57 giant ships is no easy task. Crews worked diligently to remove flaking paint and any other hazardous materials before their trek to Texas. Any potentially invasive species that clung to the vessels also had to be removed before their journey.

Shah said once they reach his plant in Brownsville, Texas, a four-phase deconstruction takes place as hazardous materials such as asbestos or lead are carefully removed.

Eventually the ship will be taken apart as scrap and will then “reincarnate itself to new history,” he said.

A representative of Baykeepers noted that federal agencies are so impressed with this removal and recycling project that they are planning on taking these measures and using them as best practices throughout the country.

“Our progress in Suisun Bay is the result of hard work and smart collaboration,” Szabat said. “There is perhaps no greater symbol of the maritime industry’s environmental progress than what has been accomplished here.”